Saturday, May 2, 2009

Let All Thy Joys. . .

"Let all thy joys be as the month of May,And all thy days be as a marriage day."~Francis Quarles

(Wedding performed by AnnaMarie)

Dear Reader,

Thank you for coming by today, and for your continued friendship; we hope you're enjoying a pleasant weekend with those whom you love.

It's raining again here, so we're glad we were able to plant the carrot, radish, fennel, and kohlrabi seeds that we did this morning! At least we won't have to water anything for a bit, which we usually do, this time of year.

We will have to re-enact our May Pole from yesterday, since we were a little rusty and required some coaxing and cajoling to stay with the performance until it was done.

The girls have been busy at their art lately. As much as we love Cicely Mary Barker's fairies, we feel that our native plants should have representatives, as well. So Audrey and I made a rhyme and a picture (Audrey did the pictures) of some our favorite "owie" plants, goat-heads and tumbleweeds. The romantic aspect of going barefoot and bare-handed while gardening loses its appeal when we encounter these fairies on a daily basis!

"The goat-head fairy wears a ferny-green gown,Which is pretty and soft, but she wears a sharp crown."

"The tumbleweed fairy is coming our way.Although she is lovely, I don't think she'll stay,For when the wind blows she'll go rolling away."

Meanwhile, AnnaMarie showed an adept hand at re-creating some of the costumes of PBS's recent showing of Dickens' "Little Dorrit". Here she portrays Fanny, Little Dorrit's floozy of a sister:

One of the funnest things about being a mother is getting to explore all the girl-friendly aspects of growing up with close sisters, which is something I missed out on when I was little. All I drew or thought about on an ongoing basis was horses, horses, and more horses! I guess it could have been worse.

Mister Graham and my mum are busy working on shelves for our china in the kitchen right now (Dad taught Mom everything she knows!), so I guess we'd better go lend a hand in the process. We'll let you know how it turns out!

Thank you for stopping by my blog to say hello! I see your comments on my mom's blog, too, and took a peek around yours. I just love the sweet sepia picture as your header (I'm assuming those are your little ones) and we are also fans of the flower fairies!

A Little Story About Me

It all started with a trip to the public library, looking for old-fashioned toy ideas, planning to make one for our baby's first Christmas. The book's title caught my eye: "Tasha Tudor's Heirloom Crafts." As I opened its cover, time stood still and my life changed forever. Thanks to my patient husband for allowing me to follow my dreams of living an old-fashioned life, and to my children for making this lifestyle so important. Thanks be to my parents for being the non-comformists they were. And of course, to the Lord Jesus for saving me and making this life possible.

Our Little Art Gallery

The Homemaker's Prayer

"Please help me to remember, Lord,When I think my work is hard;To give my labors unto theeAnd Thou wilt make them sweet to me."

"Is there any felicity in the world superior to this?"

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“There is such a power in women who are dressed well. Women, you can literally disciple men on how to treat you when you dress like ladies. A lady can have so much presence that she will disarm the enemies and critics of Christ just by the way she holds herself and conducts herself and speaks. This is so powerful. You deserve respect as a creation of God and a woman of God. You can dress and act in such a way that you will command that respect.” - Geoff Botkin

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"Come, little cottage girl, you seem to want a cup of tea; and will you take a little cream? Now tell the truth to me." She had a rustic, woodland grin her cheek was soft as silk, and she replied, "Sir, please, put in a drop of milk." ~Woodsworth

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Our Favourite Illustrators

Blanche Fisher Wright

Tasha Tudor

Beatrix Potter

Margaret Tarrant

Cicely Mary Barker

Kate Greenaway

Eloise Wilkin

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"Nature answers all he asks; Hand in hand with her he walks, Face to face with her he talks, Part and parcel of her joy,— Blessings on thee, barefoot boy!" ~Whittier

Feel free to share on your blog!

Where's Your Apron?

The Harvest

“Love is the only thing that we can carry with us when we go, and it makes the end so easy. ” ~Louisa May Alcott

Childhood Days

Authors Who Have Changed Us ~~~ Elizabeth Prentiss

‘God never places us in any position in which we can not grow. We may fancy that He does. We may fear we are so impeded by fretting, petty cares that we are gaining nothing; but when we are not sending any branches upward, we may be sending roots downward. Perhaps in the time of our humiliation, when everything seems a failure, we are making the best kind of progress.’

Laura Ingalls Wilder

"Let's be cheerful! We have no more right to steal the brightness out of the day for our own family than we have to steal the purse of a stranger. Let us be as careful that our homes are furnished with pleasant and happy thoughts as we are that the rugs are the right color and texture and the furniture comfortable and beautiful!"

Louisa May Alcott

Far away there in the sunshine are my highest aspirations. I may not reach them, but I can look up and see their beauty, believe in them, and try to follow where they lead.

Isabella Alden

Nancy Campbell (Above Rubies)

Dr. John R. Christopher

"There are no incurable diseases~ But sometimes, there are incurable patients."

Robert Rodale

"The best fallback position is not gold, but a large garden and a pantry full of home-produced food."